Toe stiffener



M. CUOZZO TOE STIFFENER April 2, 1940.

I'Filed Dec. 2.3, 1958 l "lfJyNIT-ED` Patented Apr. 2, 1940- PATENT 11F ics 2,195,447 -l-ToE STIFFEN'ER.. v Michele, Cuozzollynn, Mass.,` assigner to ,United Shoe, .Machinery Corporation,

Borough of y Flemington, `N.J., a. corporation of New` Jersey Application-became V.23, 193s, seriaiNezn-,iez

' comms." (C1. .i6-'8.5)

This invention. relates to improvements iny toe stifeners and shoes embodying such stiffeners.

In aneffort to increase they flexibility of the forepartsof shoes numerous attempts have been madeto eliminate the forepart o f the insole or to reduce the thickness of theffo-repart of the insoleA to asubstantial extent. lThese. efforts have beengreatly'hampered by the lackv of inside lateral supportl for theshoe upper at the point of attachment of the upperjto 'theshoe bottom,`

a weakness which frequently causes'the upper 'of the shoe to lose its shape 'about the forepart after ashort period of wear. f

For the purpose of preserving thl vide atoe stiffener having `rearwardly extending wings whichr form stiffv walls at thesides of the toe stiffener having outline preserving means adaptedy toi' aiord adequate inside lateral support for the upper in the ball portion without interfering with the iexibilit'y of the shoe, or causing; discomfort to the'wearer.r

rIt isa further-object of the invention to provide' `a exble shoe having a half; insole, Yor an insole with a very thin forepart, whichwilll retain its shape about the forepart even rafter al longperiod of Wear., y

In furtherance of these objects, the invention is directed to a toe stiiener having an integral lasting margin with tabs projecting rearwardly along the bottom of the shoe and extending Widthwise from a. line inwardly of the edge of the shoe bottom. and terminating approximately atV the edge of the shoe bottom.` 'In another aspect, these tabs are provided rwith inwardly turned aps which furnish additional strength to. the tabs in their function as outline preserving means. In still another aspect, the invention' provides a exible shoe incorporating a toe stiiener having rearwardly projecting tabson its lasting margin, which tabsy serve as outline preserving means for` the forepart of the?v` shoe and permit the forepartof the insole toy be elimi` nated. or greatly reduced `in thickness;`

They invention` will be further described: with ,shape of the i upper in such shoes, it has been proposed to pro-v li'eference. vto ythe accompanying drawing, in which:z ,l

Fig. l is a plan view of a group of toe stiiener blanks showing howthe tabsI may be out out withoutfsubstantial Waste of material;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the molded toe;

stifener; i

\ Fig-3 is a perspectiveview-oi a modified form of the toe stilener, showing the tabs with in-Y turned flaps; j

Fig.l 4 illustrates a lasted shoe, a portion of the upper being broken away to shovvthe toe stiffem y er and lining, and

Fig'. -'illustrates the forepart ofa completed shoe,`a portion being broken away `to show the construction thereof. f

- As illustrated in Fig. 1, the'toe stiener blank lllr is cut from-a sheet ofstiiiener material. 'The' these tabs I6 are suiciently long so that when] the stiffenerjl is incorporated'in a shoe, they will extend rearwardly along the side of the shoe bottom `to a point between the ball line and the v break line ofthe shoe, although the length may be variadas` desired.

' Considered-from aso-mewhat different point yes of View, the invention comprises a flat rand l2,

the Width of which is approximately equal to the lasting margin of the upper of the shoe in which .the rand'is to be used. The outer edge of the rand I2 has substantially the )same contour as Adoes the edge of the forepart of the shoe bottom. On the forward portion of the rand l2 and l integral with it is a toe stiiener it, substantially 'like that used yin the ordinary shoe, which ex-r tends up the side and over the toe of the shoe.

` material that would be largely Wasted' in cutting the ordinaryv blank.

The material from which the blanks are died out may be a rmjresilient and moldable sub` stance,v suchA as berboard In such' case, thev blanks-.areathen .molcled'qto. a the rform `shown 'iny Fig.l 2, so as to conform to the shape of the shoe in which they areto be used. The tabs I6 are so shaped that their outer edge contours will coincide with the outer edges of the corresponding parts ofthe forepart of the shoe bottom. Alternatively, the toe stiffeners maybe made from such materials as leather which can be softened by moistening or tempering operations or from materials such as can be softened by the use of a solvent or heat. Toe stiifeners made from such materials, are applied to the last after having first been softened and thereafter they are molded on the last'to a shape which will be retained when the material hardens.

As a means of giving additional strength to the tabs and thereby increasing theirutility as outline preserving means, the blank I may be shaped as shown in Fig. 1 with flaps IB extending from the inner edges of the tabs I6 on the blank I8.' In such case, in the process of molding, the flaps I3 are turned inwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, to form a folded edge I9 over which the upper may be lasted. With `this folded and somewhat rounded. edge, when the upper has been lasted and is being roughed prior-to the applicagtion of cement for sole attaching, there is less Figs. 3

danger that the upper will be weakened at the edge of theshoe bottom because of the tendency `of the operator to rotate the shoe during the roughing operation. This rotary motion results in more material being removed at the outer edge of the bottom than at points inwardly of the edge.

Consequently if the edge of the member to which the upper is lasted is sharp, there is danger of seriously weakening the shoe at this point. In another aspect, the invention provides a shoe having a half insole 2D which extends from the heel part to a point somewhat forward of the break line. l

To the bottom of the half insole 2U are attached the usual ber shank reinforcing member 22 and metallic shank stiffener 24. The toe stiifener Il! has a lasting margin I2, on the rearmost edge of which are projecting tabs IG which extend rearwardly along the margin of theshoe bottom. The ends 26 of the tabs Itoverlap the forward edge of the innersole 2l) and may be fastened thereto by staples or cement. The tabs, which follow the loutline of the shoe bottom and form a rm outline preserving means for the forepart of the shoe, provide a lasting surface to which the .upper may be attached. In order to provide extra strength for the outline preserving means a toe stiifener of the type illustrated in and 4 may be used. In this latter ernbodiment of the invention, inwardly folded aps I8 are provided on the outer edges of the tabs, thereby doubling the strength of the tabs. Obviously the flaps I8 may be folded downwardly so as to be between the tabs I6 and the outsole 23 or upwardly so asv tobe between the tabs I 6 and the lining 3Q.

located between the lining 3B and the upper 32 l The toe stiffener I0 is usually but it may be inside the lining 30. i

It may be found desirable to .make the toe stiffener of some material that can be softened by the use of heat or of some solvent. Frequently this type of material is sticky when soft. If this is the case, the adhesive in the material may be used to hold the lining 30 and the upper 32 together in lasted position, or it may be supplemented by other securing means. The remainder of the shoe may be lasted in any manner desired, such asv by staples 34, or tacks 36. The

attaching means for the outsole 28 is preferably Vis .not confined to shoes having half insoles but may be incorporated to advantage in any shoe in which a toe stiifener is employed.l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1.` In a` shoe, av molded toe stiffener having an integral lasting margin, said lasting margin having flat, tabs projecting rearwardly beyond the sidewalls of said stiffener, extending widthwise from a line inwardly of the edge of the shoe bottom and terminating in free edges located approximately atthe edge of the shoe bottom.

2. In a shoe, a molded toe stiifener having an integral lasting margin, said lasting margin having flat tabs projecting rearwardly beyond the side walls of said stifener, extending widthwise from a 'line inwardly of the edge of the shoe bottom Aand terminating in free edges located approximately at the edge ofthe `shoe bottom, said tabs having inwardly turned flaps along their outer'edges.

3. In a shoe, a forepart supporting member comprising a. flat forepart rand extending about i the edge .of the forepart ofthe shoe bottom and substantially equal in width to the lasting margin of the shoe, the outer edge of said rand being coterminous with saidedgeof the forepart of the shoe bottom, and a toe stiiener integral with the forward portion of said rand.

4. A toe-stifener blank having an integral lasting margin and having at one end of its rear edge an integral tab extending rearwardly'from said lasting margin approximately equal in width to the lasting margin of the main body of the toe stiffener.

5. A toe-stiffener blank having an integral lasting margin and having at both ends of its rearedge integral tabs extending rearwardly fromV said lasting margin approximately equal in widthto the lasting margin of the toe stiifener.

6. A toe-stiffener blank having van integral lasting margin and having. at one end of its rear edge an integral rearwardly extending tab which is substantially a continuation of and equal in width to the lasting marginof the main body of the toe-stiffener blank, said tab having a flap on its inner edge.

7. A exible shoe comprising an upper; a shank-reinforcing member, a toe stiifener having an integral lasting 'margin said lasting margin having flat tabs projecting rearwardly beyond the side walls of the stiifener, extending widthwise from a line inwardly of the edge of the shoe bottom and terminating in free edges located approximately at the edge of the'shoe bottom, and an outsole,the upper being secured in overlasted relation to the shank-reinforcing .member, the tabs and the lasting margin of the toe stiiener. j

8. A flexible shoe comprising an upper, a shank-reinforcing member, a toe stiiiener having an integral lasting margin, said lasting margin having fiat rearwardly projecting tabs which extena'mdtnwise froma line inwardly-of the edge 7'5'l I- being secured in overlasted relation to the shankofthe Shoe bottom andV terminate approximately at the edgeof the shoe bottomysaid tabs havingv e inwardly folded flaps, and an outsole, the upper reinforcing member -and the lasting marginof the toe stiffener.

v9. A v`flexible shoe comprising an upper', a

shank-reinforcing member, an innel'sole, atoe wardlyv beyond the side walls of said stiiener,

extending widthwise froma line inwardly of` the edge vof the shoe bottom .and terminating in free edges located approxm'atel'yat the edge'of the shoel bottom, and an outsole, the upper` being' secured in overlasted relation to the lshank-re'- inforcing member andthe inwardly turned lastv ing margin of the toe stiffener. l

- M ICHELE CUozZo'. 10 

